People tend to be a little hysterical about things like this. Before the first atomic bomb was detonated, even some scientists worried that it might ignite the oxygen in the atmosphere and literally cause the entire planet to go up in flames.

People tend to be a little hysterical about things like this. Before the first atomic bomb was detonated, even some scientists worried that it might ignite the oxygen in the atmosphere and literally cause the entire planet to go up in flames.

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They weren't too far from the truth... Nuclear fission is pretty nasty stuff.

Just an update, The LHC was fired up for the first time today, but is not being gunned at full capacity yet. They are doing this because when it comes to a device that may recreate the same conditions present during the big bang, you wanna take it slow and start of with scaled down test to calibrate the device in total. They will continue to do many more small steps like this, checking and rechecking systems, until they are confident in a full scale test firing. That will be amazing and should happen in about a year. Alot of immense implications and applications could be coming from this. If they can detect the Higgs particle and finally validate an explanation to where mass comes from, we can move on to better understanding and even manipulating gravity on a realistic level. And even if nothing is discovered ie. results dont agree with mathmatical models after a full scale firing, it would still be amazing because that means, fundamentally we do not understand how the universe/s work at a most basic empirical level. That means there is so much more we have to learn and havent even scratched the surface on a atomic level!! The next couple of decades should be interesting, really exciting time to be alive!!!!!

But seriously though, for the benefit of those of us lacking doctorate in physics, what are they up to in Switzerland, for real? Who funded this thing and what are they hoping to get out of it? And did Japan say it was OK for them to get into this? And what practical steps should the pedestrian population be taking in order to benefit or protect ourselves from whatever they are doing in that bunker this week?

But seriously though, for the benefit of those of us lacking doctorate in physics, what are they up to in Switzerland, for real? Who funded this thing and what are they hoping to get out of it? And did Japan say it was OK for them to get into this? And what practical steps should the pedestrian population be taking in order to benefit or protect ourselves from whatever they are doing in that bunker this week?

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Ohk, what they are looking for has already been explained as simply as possible above. They're looking for new particles, chiefly the Higgs Particle, which they feel might explain why other particles have mass.

What they could possibly do, isn't something you can build a shelter to avoid (unless that shelter resides in some other solar system...)

But seriously though, for the benefit of those of us lacking doctorate in physics, what are they up to in Switzerland, for real? Who funded this thing and what are they hoping to get out of it? And did Japan say it was OK for them to get into this? And what practical steps should the pedestrian population be taking in order to benefit or protect ourselves from whatever they are doing in that bunker this week?

Ohk, what they are looking for has already been explained as simply as possible above. They're looking for new particles, chiefly the Higgs Particle, which they feel might explain why other particles have mass.

What they could possibly do, isn't something you can build a shelter to avoid (unless that shelter resides in some other solar system...)

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Yes I saw about the particles, and the Higgs, and mass migration to outer galaxies, and it’s all a good read. How are we the common folk supposed to react though? Stay away from the windows at night? Eat more vegetables? Vary times and routes of travel?

Yes I saw about the particles, and the Higgs, and mass migration to outer galaxies, and it’s all a good read. How are we the common folk supposed to react though? Stay away from the windows at night? Eat more vegetables? Vary times and routes of travel?

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You never know, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the world that you know and react with will go unchanged regardless of what they find.

Though, you never know. What you might see as a result of these experiments is probably more along the lines of advances in technology along the lines of that which has occurred over the past ten years, maybe better.